Last week, I was invited to the Taste of Yaletown preview and was fortunate to try two of the 30 restaurants that are participating this year.
We arrived at our first location, Glowbal Grill, and we were delighted to see that there were Caesars awaiting us. The prawn and pickled bean garnish made this a hearty cocktail. It was tangy and delicious, whetting our appetite for lunch.
For our lunch trial, Chef Ryan served us two dishes on one plate. We had a bit of a time crunch, since we were aiming to hit up two restaurants in the span on one hour.
On the plate is a Fried Artichoke Salad, with the most amazing topping of candied pumpkin seeds. This was delicious and I loved the little tomatoes and roasted peppers. The dressing is a light pumpkin seed pesto. Very seasonal.
The main was a Seared Albacore Tuna, sitting on a bed of spicy green beans. These had a good touch of heat and the tuna was just lightly seared. The fish was super moist and I really enjoyed it.
For dessert, the Sweet Cream Panna Cotta is amazing, topped with some berries and crush hazelnut. It’s a great way to finish off your dinner.
Off we went to the next stop, Urban Thai. We were treated to a Spicy Tiger Prawns with cucumber. The cucumber is hollowed out and filled with papaya. The spice comes from the little chilies on top, and packs quite the punch! The second appetizer option is a Chicken Wrap. The pieces of chicken thigh are marinated in a sweet sesame sauce and then wrapped and cooked in pandanus leaves. The chicken was juicy and had a slightly sweet flavour.
The third choice was another tasty dish, the Homemade Shrimp Cakes. These were super bouncy and had a great texture. I loved the crunch of the flaky crust.
We also got to try the Tom Yum Soup, with a lot of mushrooms and a few pieces of chicken. There was quite a bit of heat here as well, but not overpowering at all.
We were served a Red Curry Roasted Long Island Duck. The curry was mild and the duck was really moist. There was quite a good level of heat, mostly from the jalapenos. If it’s too much for you, just pick it off and enjoy the creamy curry on its own.
Another seafood option was the Garlic & Pepper Tiger Prawns, which is a great choice if you’re not a curry fan. It’s a lot of prawns simply stir-fried with garlic. The broccoli was nice and crunchy and gave the dish a refreshing touch.
For fish lovers, give their Three Flavour Fish a try, it’s a great blend of sweet, sour and a touch of spice. All the entrees are served with some coconut rice, perfect to soak up all the sauces.
And the dessert is a Deep Fried Banana served with sweet Coconut Ice Cream. Even if you don’t think you’ll like this, the mix of crispy banana and the sweetness of the ice cream will easily win you over.
Taste of Yaletown runs from October 16 to 27. Book your reservations early as these are fantastic menus at a great price.
Vancity Buzz is proud to be a sponsor of the Taste of Yaletown.
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